Shaheen Afridi gives interesting 'three-word' verdict on Virat Kohli vs Babar Azam debate

Shaheen was asked to pick between Kohli and Babar and he came up with an interesting reply.

Who is the better batsman in Virat Kohli and Babar Azam? The question has been posed by fans and on many a talk shows with many giving their views on the long-standing debate, which has grown hotter by the day with the Pakistan captain's tremendous run of form across formats in international cricket. And now his teammate, Shaheen Shah Afridi, has joined the bandwagon to have his say on the debate.

Virat Kohli; Shaheen Afridi; Babar Azam

Shaheen may have made his international debut under the captaincy of Sarfaraz Ahmed in 2018, he has grown to become an integral member of the Babar-led Pakistan side in all formats of the game. He has closely watched the Pakistan stalwart rise to fame and break umpteen records in international cricket.

Meanwhile, Shaheen's only meeting with Kohli was in the 2021 T20 World Cup tie in Dubai on October 24. The then India captain had managed to stop Shaheen's onslaught at the start of the innings with a six over long-off, but the Pakistan pacer eventually got the better of Kohli in the fag end of the innings.

Shaheen's 3 for 41 against India in that game, followed by a stellar unbeaten stand by the opening pair of Babar and Mohammad Rizwan helped Pakistan beat India for the first time ever in a World Cup meeting. The 10-wicket win also remains Pakistan's best victory by wicket margin in T20 cricket.

Speaking to ESPNCricinfo during a rapid-fire round, Shaheen was asked to pick between Kohli and Babar and he came up with an interesting reply. “I like both, yeah,” is what he said.

Shaheen was also asked to pick between teammate Rizwan and Jos Buttler and he chose his teammate. Between IPL and PSL, the youngster picked the latter.